Developing Narrative Theory: Life Histories and Personal Representation

Narrative analysis has grown in interest and use across many areas of research in recent years. Up until now however this rapidly developing approach has lacked a firm theoretical underpinning that would allow researchers both to approach such research in a reliably structured way and to interpret the results more effectively.Developing Narrative Theory represents a timely assessment of the current narrative trends in research. It shows in detail how life story interviews are conducted and demonstrates how the process often begins with relatively unstructured life story collection but moves to a more collaborative exchange where sociological themes and historical patterns are scrutinised and mutually explored.At the core of this book however the author shows that far from there being a singular form of narrative or an infinite range of unique and idiosyncratic narratives in fact there were clusters of narrativity, clusters of particular types of narrative style that can be grouped into four main areas:Focussed Elaborators,Scripted Describers,Armchair Elaborators, andFocussed Describers.The differentiation turns on the relationship between styles of narrativity and the use to which such narratives are put ' especially their relationship to lifelong learning and the development of courses of action.Drawing on data from several large-scale studies from countries across the world, this book details how theories of narrativity and life story analysis can combine to inform learning potential and it will be of use to anyone researching or developing learning strategies and resources, as well as those interested in lifelong learning and professional and self-development practices.